Open Wheel Asphalt Modified - Modified Evolution

For every racer and every race fan, there are cars that stand out as favorites. Cars that got you hooked on the sport. Every time you see them it takes you back to where it all began. Call it nostalgia, but every time I see an Open Wheel Asphalt Modified it takes back to Wall Stadium in New Jersey watching the Blewetts, wishing I could drive like the guys on track. That stays with you. It gave me something to work toward, and even though I've gravitated to the wrenching side of racing and have worked on a lot of high-level stock cars, I have still never turned a wrench on a Modified.

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I like the Modified because of the speed and the finesse needed to wheel one of these monsters. Martin Truex Jr. once said that racing a Modified will make you a better racer because of the need to take care of the wide open front end of the cars.

The majority of the tracks I attended at a young age featured Mods as the premier class. Being the “top dogs” I was always attracted to them. Since I have learned a bit about their history, I have a newfound respect and admiration for the original Modified racers. These weren't just drivers—they were engineers, fabricators, and mechanics. They made amazing race cars out of parts others threw away. While it doesn't sound like a glamorous way to build a car, it was out of sheer necessity. These were blue collar, hard-core gear heads. These were racers!

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Modified were born from production cars turned into race cars after the end of World War II. Vets returned home with some serious engineering and fabrication abilities, and wanted an outlet for the desire to build things. Cars were an easy and affordable option as short tracks were prevalent all over the county, and junkyards were full of cars that were the perfect platform for racers. The term “Modifieds” comes from the basis of the class—modified stock cars. In the early years, most cars just had modified engines, and this made them faster than the Sportsman stock cars of the day.

Looking at a Modified, it's sometimes hard to see the connection to the Pre-WWII coupes they evolved from. But when you look at Mods from 10, 20, and 30 years ago, the lineage becomes blatantly apparent. The level of ingenuity from those early racers is incredible. Admittedly today monster horsepower can often be linked to the size of your wallet. Back then, guys grabbed a Chevy block, a Ford crankshaft, and Dodge pistons to get the bore, stroke, and compression combination they wanted. That took an incredible amount of knowledge, research, and time to figure out what would work. And many times, cranks had to be turned or offset ground to work in another manufacturer's block.

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As the Modified class evolved, it became known for technical advancements and innovation. It was not uncommon to see radical engine combinations, extreme engine offset, 18-inch wide rear wheels and tires, and loads of parts, including chassis, being adapted from many different manufacturers to make one car. This innovation meant increased performance on track, and the car became faster and faster.

The chassis evolved into hand fabricated tube frames designed specifically for oval track racing, with sheetmetal bodies designed specifically for certain aerodynamic properties, replacing the stock pre-WWII coupes that racers pulled from junkyards.

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Today, Modifieds are extremely popular in the Eastern half of the U.S. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is the top tier Modified series. It is also the only remaining series from NASCAR's inaugural season in 1948. But asphalt Modifieds can be found beyond the Northeast, from Florida to Texas to Michigan under different sanctioning bodies, as well as unsanctioned local classes. While the class may be the same, the rules packages vary greatly. Because of this, there is a lack of equality between a NASCAR Tour Modified and a Modified from a local non- NASCAR sanctioned track. Engine sizes can range from 355 ci to 368 ci or larger engines (depending on rules).

No matter how you look at it, it took hard work and loads on ingenuity to build a Modified in the early days. The evolution of the cars is nothing short of incredible, and the advance of technology in racing keeps that evolution moving forward. With its rich history, Modifieds have stood the test of time, and we don't see them going away any time soon.